Untranslated Element in Neurofilament mRNA Has Neuropathic Effect on Motor Neurons of Transgenic Mice

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.22-17-07662.2002
• Publication Date: 2018-04-13T22:27:17Z
• Authors: Zhenying Nie; Junhua Wu; Jinbin Zhai; Hong Lin; Weiwen Ge; William W. Schlae...; Rafaela Cañete-Soler
• Keywords: Neurofilament

Studies of experimental motor neuron degeneration attributable to expression neurofilament light chain (NF-L) transgenes have raised the possibility that neuropathic effects result from overexpression NF-L mRNA, independent protein (Cañete-Soler et al., 1999). The present study was undertaken test for an RNA-mediated pathogenesis. Transgenic mice were derived using either enhanced green fluorescent reporter construct or modified chimeric constructs differ only in their 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). Motor function and spinal cord histology normal expressing unmodified transgene. In a transgene which sequence UTR inserted into transgene, we observed growth retardation reduced kinetic activity during postnatal development. Older developed impairment atrophy nerve fibers ventral roots. A similar but more severe phenotype when contained 36 bp c-myc insert mRNA destabilizing element sequence. Our results suggest overexpressing can occur at level RNA are mediated by sequences UTR.